Dangerously Close (A Collection of Fictional Short Stories)

| Freedom |

"Alright Conway, time to go," the prison guard said, waving at the security camera in the corner. The cringing buzz sound she'd grown accustomed to echoed in the hall of cells. Her cell door unlocked and slid open.

She rubbed her wrists, rough, stiff, and dry from four years of putting on and taking off handcuffs. She didn't need them now and it felt weird.

"Ready to taste fresh air, Conway?" he said, having her take the lead through the prison.

Women shouted and spat expletives at her as she walked pass them with a taunting grin.

Bye ladies, she thought, not wasting a single minute of this time to feed into their jealousy.

Thirty minutes later, another buzz penetrated her soul, but this time daylight greeted her beyond a set of double doors. She hugged the possessions she had carried inside the prison and took those first couple steps into freedom.

She sucked in the fresh summer air and dropped her head back to let the precious sun kiss her face. Her heart skipped a beat as if she'd fallen in love.

I am never going back in there. She told the sun and its warmth seemed to heighten in response.

"Serenity!" a familiar voice shouted from across the parking lot.

With a smile wide enough to show all her teeth, she almost ran to her little sister. They embraced and must've stood like that for a long time. Voria shivered into a sob and Serenity had to do a hard swallow to keep from crying herself. It'd been so long since she had any positive human contact, especially from her sister. Their weekly conversations only consisted of phone calls and sitting behind glass walls.

"You can let me go now," Serenity laughed.

"Never," Voria joked and did peel herself off. "Come on. Let's get you far away from here."

"Please," Serenity said.

They hopped into what once was Serenity's car. Her license had expired, but she never felt so thrilled to be reunited with her four wheels. Voria had taken good care of her baby. An ocean scented air freshener hung on the rearview mirror and pink polka dots now decorated the seats and the dashboard, but she didn't care. Four years were a long time and the car was only one of the many connections she still had with Serenity. Serenity rolled the window all the way down and let the breeze smack her in the face.

"How in the world did you survive in there?" Voria said. "You almost seem like the same."

Serenity sighed and frowned, horrific memories of being inside squeezing into her moment of joy.

"I'm not the same Vor," she said rubbing faint bruises along her knuckles. "Prison is not vacation. That's for sure."

Her sister had nothing to say, but Serenity noticed concern weaving onto her sister's face. She grabbed her trembling hand and squeezed it with encouragement.

"I'm going to be okay though," Serenity smiled.

"Well, you know I can't take you home until we go to our spot first," she said.

"They didn't shut that area down yet?"

"Nope," Voria grinned. "I still go there sometimes. Even with Jeddy."

"How's Jeddy?" Serenity said.

"Your nephew is fine. He's with his dad today so we can spend time together."

"I just want a hot shower or maybe a sudsy bath. A good meal. Ihop. And lie back in my pj's and watch every movie and tv show I've missed in the last four years."